Bassan echoed to the newspaper a statement her aide Dawn Marie Emilio gave the blog earlier this week, calling the allegation a "dirty trick.”

She also dragged Mayor Tim Keller into the fray:

 

Neri Holguin, campaign manager for Abby Foster, Bassan's Dem foe, also worked for Mayor Tim Keller's 2021 successful re-election. In that race Sheriff Manny Gonzales suffered greatly when Holguin discovered irregularities in his nominating petition signatures. The court hearings over the matter derailed Gonzales and Keller won in a landslide. 

Gonzales' campaign was managed by longtime GOP consultant Jay McCleskey who is now consulting Bassan. 

Foster's campaign came with this response:

Emilio's vague media statement seemed to intimate that she was faced with some sort of domestic turmoil at her Westside home that prompted her to move into Bassan's house but she did not say it was domestic violence or that she had contacted law enforcement. 

Our sources say Emilio's partner at the Westside home works for the ABQ fire department. 

Emilio said in her statement:

David Esdale, a resident of District 4, said in his complaint to the Ethics Board that was processed Wednesday but because of board rules will not be heard until after the election, that he was concerned that Bassan. . . 

While Bassan said she was "unaware" that Emilio had reregistered at her home, Emilio also donated $5 to Bassan to help her qualify for public financing of her campaign. There were only some 400 such donations required to qualify and the list of those giving is closely monitored by the candidates and their campaigns. Was Bassan also not aware of that donation from Emilio--a donation that would be a violation of election law if Emilio was not a legal resident of the district?

Bassan also faces questions over misrepresenting her educational background. She claimed on the Journal questionnaire in 2019 that she had a bachelor's degree in criminology and did so again this year. She said it was a "mistake" but when the newspaper published the incorrect information in 2019 she did not correct it. Only when it was revealed this year did Bassan stop claiming the degree. 

The Foster campaign is already in the mailboxes in District 4 using the Bassan controversies against her in the lean Republican district. The race is now seen by our analysts as close with some labeling it a toss-up because of the allegations and Bassan's responses. 

There are elections across the state Tuesday, not just in big BernCo. While the turnout will be smallish for the off-year balloting, there is plenty to decide. 

To find out what's on your ballot check out this link from the Secretary of State for your personalized sample ballot. It will save you a lot of time when you get to the polls.